What documents do I need to enter the UAE (Dubai)?
The UAE needs a passport valid six months beyond entry, plus either a visa on arrival or a pre-arranged visit visa. Full document checklist for your trip1 Dubai stay.
Updated
Entering the UAE - what you need
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates sit under the same federal entry rules, so the checklist is identical wherever you land. Sort these out well before your trip1 booking dates.
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your entry date, with at least one blank page.
- Either eligibility for a visa on arrival, or a visit visa arranged in advance.
- A confirmed return or onward ticket.
- Proof of accommodation, which your trip1 booking confirmation provides.
- Enough funds for the length of your stay, if an officer asks to see evidence.
- Prior approval from the UAE health authorities for any controlled prescription medication, plus the doctor's letter.
Visa on arrival or a visa arranged in advance?
The passport you travel on decides this, and your airline checks it before boarding. Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries need no visa at all.
A long list of nationalities, including US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, Japanese and Chinese ordinary passport holders, receive a free entry stamp at the airport. Most of these permit 30 days, and some nationalities get up to 90 days within a 180-day window.
Everyone else needs a visit visa before flying. UAE visit visas are sponsored, which means an airline, a hotel, a licensed UAE tour operator or a resident relative applies on your behalf through the immigration authority. Start that process several weeks ahead, because processing is not instant.
Lists change, and the UAE has added nationalities to the visa on arrival scheme more than once in recent years. Confirm your own status with your airline or the UAE immigration authority shortly before departure rather than relying on older advice.
Rules that catch visitors out
Check the exact date printed on your entry stamp instead of assuming a full 30 days. Overstaying carries a daily fine and can block a future entry.
The UAE does not recognise dual nationality, and it treats you as a citizen of the passport you entered on. Enter and leave on the same document to avoid a problem at the exit desk.
Important: The UAE has strict rules on medication. Several drugs sold freely elsewhere are controlled substances here, and carrying them without prior approval and a doctor's letter can lead to arrest at the airport. Check your prescriptions against the UAE health ministry list before you pack.
Checking into a hotel in Dubai
Every guest aged 18 or over shows a passport at check-in, and the hotel registers foreign guests with the authorities. Bring the physical document, because a photo on your phone is usually refused.
Many UAE hotels also take a card or cash deposit at check-in to cover incidentals such as minibar, spa or restaurant charges. That deposit is the property's own policy and is separate from how you paid trip1 for the room.
Keep your trip1 booking confirmation handy on your phone. It doubles as the proof of accommodation that immigration officers and airline staff sometimes ask for.
Entering the UAE and Dubai - FAQ
That depends on your nationality. GCC citizens need no visa, a long list of nationalities receive a free visa on arrival, and everyone else has to arrange a visit visa before flying.
Most visa-on-arrival stamps give you 30 days, and some nationalities get up to 90 days within a 180-day window. Your airline can confirm which one applies to your passport before you fly.
At least six months beyond your date of entry. The UAE also refuses emergency travel documents with limited page counts.
Airlines and immigration officers often ask where you are staying and for your return flight. A trip1 booking confirmation and your onward ticket cover both.
Many UAE hotels take a card or cash deposit at check-in to cover incidentals such as minibar or spa charges. That is the hotel's own policy and is separate from how you paid for the room.
